Glass Pony Beads

Strung & Loose Pony Beads

Beads in the early fur trade were an important commodity because they were in great demand and easily packed and transported. Pony beads were first introduced to Indians by French explorers in the early 17th Century and were immediately popular and well suited for use in decorating Indian garments. Great for early period beadwork, necklaces, and other ornaments.

The purpose of this article is to provide a thumbnail sketch of the history of one of the most popular trade items used in Native American craftwork. The use of the “seed bead” by Native Americans beginning in the 1800s was the result of hundreds of years of European glass technology intersecting with the westward expansion of the United States across the continent.Go to Article >>

The more a crafter uses seed and pony beads, the more he realizes that there is a lot to learn just about the beads themselves. Most of us start by using Czech beads, then discover modern-made beads from Italy, France, Germany, India, China, Pakistan, Japan, Taiwan, and elsewhere. But we figure that selecting beads will be easy, because they come in different size designations, and most everyone sells these according to the Czech system. . .Go to Article >>

The use of colors by Indian beadworkers varies widely among the many different tribes throughout the U.S. & Canada. These are general guidelines for some of the better known beadworking tribes. Many exceptions to this can be found, but this provides a basis for staying within the traditions for these tribes. One should also be aware that many variations of hues existed within given shades of colors, and these varied from factory to factory as well as in different lots from the same factory.Go to Article >>

Our Story

Our goal is to provide the best quality products at fair and competitive prices, while bringing you, the customer, the very best service in the industry. Since beginning in 1970, the goal of Crazy Crow Trading Post has been to provide the best quality products at fair and competitive prices, while bringing you the very best service in the industry. As our business has grown, we have been able to have many unique items manufactured around the world. Many of these are authentic reproductions of original trade goods which, prior to our production, had not been available for many years.